Ghost Stories: A chat with the good doctor, Part III
Lead Summary
By
Steve Roush-
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s continue our chat with Dr. Diocletian Lewis, who attended Harvard Medical School and is considered to be the “Father of Physical Education” in public schools in the United States, as well as a shining apostle in the Temperance Crusade.
As the temperance train continues to chug down the tracks in the year of our Lord 1874, we had been talking about how Dr. Lewis resolved to attempt the inauguration of a Woman’s Temperance Movement in New England, and selected Manchester, New Hampshire, for the first trial.
“So, Dr. Lewis, could you tell me a bit about how that trial at Manchester went,” I inquire of the good doctor, who was born in March of 1823 and would have been 51 years old in 1874.
“I spent a week in that city in preparation,” he recalled. “Nearly all of the clergymen were interested, and many leading citizens promised to occupy seats on the platform. Mr. (Daniel) Clark, United States senator, presided. The meeting was held in Smythe’s Hall, was immense in numbers, and not only was conducted in accordance with the (temperance) program, but was altogether one of the most magnificent meetings I have ever attended. At the close of the meeting we attempted to organize the regular committees; but the crowd was so great that it was thought better to adjourn, to meet the next morning at ten o’clock, to complete the business arrangements.”
“OK,” I say, “so how did that meeting go?”
“The meeting the next morning was full and enthusiastic; the committees were appointed, and everything looked auspicious,” Dr. Lewis responded. “I had thus far been so conspicuous in the work, and was so anxious withal that it should be a woman’s movement, that I thought it wise to leave Manchester and our good cause in the hands of the committee of 200 women. I returned to Boston and waited for reports from Manchester.”
“So what were the reports?” I ask.
“The women had a large meeting the next morning; were advised by the men not to go at once to the dram shops with the appeal and pledges which had been prepared, but to circulate petitions through the city, and gather names of all the women and girls over 15 years of age, which should be published and circulated among the dram shops before the visits of the women began," Dr. Lewis said. "This task occupied two weeks; the names were published, making quite a large pamphlet. These pamphlets were circulated among the dram sellers, and in four weeks the women called a meeting with the intention of starting out in the regular work of visiting the dram shops, but the meeting was a very small one, and lacked enthusiasm; great variety of opinion was expressed in reference to the propriety and wisdom of this and that, and the Woman’s Temperance Movement in Manchester was abandoned, though all cherished the belief that much good had been done by way of elevating public sentiment.”
“Well, that had to be a disappointment to you,” I surmise.
Dr. Dio Lewis shakes his head and says, “At Nashua, N.H., Natick, Mass., and at other points in New England, I made attempts to establish this (temperance) work, but was everywhere more or less disappointed with a lack of unanimity and enthusiasm among clergymen. Since that time I have continued, as the public knows, to lecture on the subject of education, and have published several volumes on the subject, which have had a wide circulation.”
“Well, considering we’re sitting on a train here in Ohio in 1874 talking about the Temperance Crusade, you didn’t abandon the movement completely,” I say.
Dr. Lewis smiles, “Last December, while lecturing in southern Ohio before the Lyceums upon the Higher Education of Our Girls, I devoted some spare evenings to the discussion of the Woman’s Temperance Movement. The first meeting was held in Hillsboro, the second in Washington, Fayette County; the whole world knows the rest of the story…”
As the temperance train continues down the tracks 142 years ago, let’s pause for now and we’ll continue next week.
Steve Roush is a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.
As the temperance train continues to chug down the tracks in the year of our Lord 1874, we had been talking about how Dr. Lewis resolved to attempt the inauguration of a Woman’s Temperance Movement in New England, and selected Manchester, New Hampshire, for the first trial.
“So, Dr. Lewis, could you tell me a bit about how that trial at Manchester went,” I inquire of the good doctor, who was born in March of 1823 and would have been 51 years old in 1874.
“I spent a week in that city in preparation,” he recalled. “Nearly all of the clergymen were interested, and many leading citizens promised to occupy seats on the platform. Mr. (Daniel) Clark, United States senator, presided. The meeting was held in Smythe’s Hall, was immense in numbers, and not only was conducted in accordance with the (temperance) program, but was altogether one of the most magnificent meetings I have ever attended. At the close of the meeting we attempted to organize the regular committees; but the crowd was so great that it was thought better to adjourn, to meet the next morning at ten o’clock, to complete the business arrangements.”
“OK,” I say, “so how did that meeting go?”
“The meeting the next morning was full and enthusiastic; the committees were appointed, and everything looked auspicious,” Dr. Lewis responded. “I had thus far been so conspicuous in the work, and was so anxious withal that it should be a woman’s movement, that I thought it wise to leave Manchester and our good cause in the hands of the committee of 200 women. I returned to Boston and waited for reports from Manchester.”
“So what were the reports?” I ask.
“The women had a large meeting the next morning; were advised by the men not to go at once to the dram shops with the appeal and pledges which had been prepared, but to circulate petitions through the city, and gather names of all the women and girls over 15 years of age, which should be published and circulated among the dram shops before the visits of the women began," Dr. Lewis said. "This task occupied two weeks; the names were published, making quite a large pamphlet. These pamphlets were circulated among the dram sellers, and in four weeks the women called a meeting with the intention of starting out in the regular work of visiting the dram shops, but the meeting was a very small one, and lacked enthusiasm; great variety of opinion was expressed in reference to the propriety and wisdom of this and that, and the Woman’s Temperance Movement in Manchester was abandoned, though all cherished the belief that much good had been done by way of elevating public sentiment.”
“Well, that had to be a disappointment to you,” I surmise.
Dr. Dio Lewis shakes his head and says, “At Nashua, N.H., Natick, Mass., and at other points in New England, I made attempts to establish this (temperance) work, but was everywhere more or less disappointed with a lack of unanimity and enthusiasm among clergymen. Since that time I have continued, as the public knows, to lecture on the subject of education, and have published several volumes on the subject, which have had a wide circulation.”
“Well, considering we’re sitting on a train here in Ohio in 1874 talking about the Temperance Crusade, you didn’t abandon the movement completely,” I say.
Dr. Lewis smiles, “Last December, while lecturing in southern Ohio before the Lyceums upon the Higher Education of Our Girls, I devoted some spare evenings to the discussion of the Woman’s Temperance Movement. The first meeting was held in Hillsboro, the second in Washington, Fayette County; the whole world knows the rest of the story…”
As the temperance train continues down the tracks 142 years ago, let’s pause for now and we’ll continue next week.
Steve Roush is a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.